Man from Shrewsbury stole employer's tools to pay for hotel stays

A scaffolder from Shrewsbury stole more than £1,000 worth of tools from his boss – to pay for hotel rooms after being kicked out of home.

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Daniel Craig Thornton sold two stolen drills, worth £1,250, for £125.

The 30-year-old said he had been told to leave of his mother's house and needed the money to pay for somewhere to stay.

Thornton, of Shepherd's Lane, Bicton, Shrewsbury, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft from his employee, and two charges of fraud by false representation when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court.

Abigail Hall, prosecuting, said: "Advanced Scaffolding Ltd, which was working in Telford Town Centre, keep all of its tools in a locked container only available to site security to open and give to workers.

"On September 4 it was noticed that a Panasonic drill wasn't in the container.

"Bosses realised a Makita drill was also not in the container and it was established the defendant had asked to use them and left with them."

The court heard Thornton sold the Panasonic drill, worth £800, for £55 and the Makita drill, worth £450, for £70, to Cash Providers Ltd in Wellington.

"In an interview with police he said he had been thrown out of the house by his mother and needed money to pay for hotel rooms," added Mrs Hall.

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"He said he was selling them on a buy back scheme and he was going to buy them back once he had some money on Friday, but bosses spotted they were missing and stopped his pay on Thursday.

"He knows it comes across as theft but he didn't see it like that as he was going to return the drills."

Shakeel Ahmed, for Thornton, said his client told his employer he had sold them on the cash buy back scheme and was going to buy them back.

"Advanced Scaffolding retrieved the drills from Cash Providers, which are the ones who lose out in this case."

Thornton was given a 12 month community order, and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay a £125 compensation and £85 victim surcharge.